Another great week with great educators. Even with the midweek interruption due to PSAT testing, there are still a lot of great things happening on campus. Continue with the great things you are doing with your students and in your classroom. Your actions and teachings will make our students successful leaders in the future. In the words of Aristotle, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.”
At a Glance:
- Reality Check
- Cell Structure
- Beyond the Bubble
- English Companion
- Technology Staff Development Opportunities
- Entertainment
Reality Check – Below is an excerpt from an e-mail shared from an administrator to the staff at an LCISD campus. Much like teachers, the life of a student may be significantly different outside the school building.
Today I did a home visit on a young man having some behavioral issues. When we walked into the one bedroom apartment the smell and filth was almost overwhelming. From what we could tell at least ten people live in this one bedroom apartment. I tell you this to remind you we do not know what our kids come from or deal with on a daily basis. Anyone expecting this young man to do any work once he gets home is kidding themselves. I do not condone his misbehavior here and will not accept it, but I wanted you all to be aware and reminded of some of the hardships our kids go through. I forget sometimes so it is good when I get to do home visits like the one I did today to remind myself of why I do this as we get into the long months of October and November. Always remember to do what is best for the kids. You all are doing a great job!
The closing sentences state it well: “Always remember to do what is best for the kids. You all are doing a great job!”
Cell Structure – website – This interactive gives a great overview of prokaryotes and eukaryotes, animal cells, and plant cells. Use Construct a Cell to create a plant, animal, or prokaryotic cell and review the parts found in each.
Beyond the Bubble – website – Beyond the Bubble offers a new generation of history assessments that work hand in hand with Common Core Standards to provide a window into student thinking and promote academic literacy. Referred to as “HATS” (History Assessment of Thinking), assessments go beyond recall to applying facts in context. Choose the assessment link to explore topics such as “Civil Rights Movement in Context” or “Edison and a Kansas Housewife.” Lessons also include an interactive rubric and sample student responses. Don’t miss the going deeper activities, such as videos. Click links to download materials available in PDF format.
English Companion – website – Join this popular teacher-created social network for English teachers to expand your PLN and get informal professional development.
Entertainment – Kids of Today vs. 1980’s Technology – website.
Technology Staff Development Opportunities
| Date | ASCEND Section# | Training | Location | Description |
| Thursday, October 24 | 77364 | Become a SkyDrive Pro | iCafe Lab | Why deal with jump drives, your H: drive, or even carting paperwork to and from work? SkyDrive Pro enables you to leave the hassle behind and access your files from anywhere in the world that you have internet access. While you’re at it, collaborate with colleagues by sharing files, presentations, chatting and more, by using Lync. We will show you how to set these tools up and how to use them to increase your productivity – anywhere, anytime. |
| Tuesday, October, 29 | 77360 | Gamify Your Classroom | Terry LGI | Want to transform your classroom? Gamification is the concept of applying game-design thinking to non-game applications to make them more fun and engaging. Many educators are beginning to find ways to use gaming to bring learning to life. The number of innovative lessons utilizing the method is growing every day. Let’s explore the possibilities and discover how gaming helps build content fluency and deepen problem solving skills. |
| Tuesday, November 5 | 77314 | Web Literacy | iCafe Lab | Our teaching job includes providing web literacy skills and strategies, including lessons on why critical thinking about the web is important. Learn how to REALLY search the web and why these skills are essential to every 21st century learner. |
| Thursday, November 14 | 77310 | SMART Intermediate | iCafe Lab | Build on your foundational SMART Notebook skills. Begin learning how to create an eye-popping SMART Notebook presentation and boost the technology integration in your classroom. These session is for teachers who work with a SMART Board and have attended an introductory SMART Notebook training. |
| Tuesday, November 19 | 77311 | Promethean Intermediate | iCafe Lab | Learn how to create flipchart magic in this intermediate ActivInspire training. Explore the browsers and layers and begin to create flipcharts of your very own. To get the most out of this training, you must have basic knowledge of Promethean’s ActivInspire software. |